Bob Trezise has been President and CEO of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) since November 2011. LEAP is a private/public 501 (c) 6 representing Metro Lansing (Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties). It is one of ten appointed (by Michigan Governor Snyder) Collaborative Development Councils representing the leadership of the state in ...

Steve serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP). Steve has over 15-years of experience in assisting governmental and private clients secure financial incentives and address federal, state and local requirements associated with redevelopment projects, including seven years with the Michiga...

Tedi R. Parsons comes to LEAP bringing over 20-years of professional experiences in human resources, operations and top level executive support, including holding positions as Vice-President of Operations & Human Resources, Sr. Executive Assistant, Facilities/Operations Manager, and Executive Administrator. He received his certifica...

Marchelle Smith is multi-talented bringing almost 12 years of downtown revitalization expertise and over 22 years of high-level business management experience. Marchelle keeps everything running seamlessly at the Lansing Economic Development Corporation, whether it is managing the organization’s complicated financial reporting and opera...

Victoria joined the LEAP team in January 2017. Previous to LEAP, Victoria served as the Library Communications Manager at Lansing Community College where she worked to increase awareness of and engagement with students and employees on behalf of the Library. In addition, Victoria served as the Program Coordinator for One Book One LCC, Lansing Commu...

With over 20 years of experience in economic development at both the regional and local level Karl brings a wide variety of skills and practical knowledge to the LEAP team. He is an expert in Brownfield Redevelopment, Intergovernmental Development, Development Finance and Business Expansion, Retention and Attraction. He has been d...

Josh joined the LEAP team in December 2016. Prior to LEAP, he served as the Program Manager for the Arts Council of Greater Lansing, coordinating, marketing and implementing smARTS – a professional development program for creatives; overseeing six funding initiatives that provided more than $275,000 in grants, along with implementing and mana...

Eric joined the Business Development Unit at LEAP in November 2016. He comes to LEAP after serving as Project Manager for Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. In his role as Lansing Project Manager, he will work with LEAP’s local partners to assist in business expansion, attraction, and retention services within the City of Lansing.
Eric...

Kris began his career with LEAP in early November 2016. Prior to LEAP, he held the position of Outreach & Operations Coordinator at the South Lansing Community Development Association (SLCDA). Over his six-years at the SLCDA, he managed projects focused on local food access and municipal finance.
Kris received his Bache...

As Director of the New Economy Division for LEAP, Tony establishes and extends programming for entrepreneurship and innovation throughout the Lansing region. With the goal of creating a culture of entrepreneurship, Tony works with local, regional, and state resources assist individuals and startups to launch products and create companies.
Prio...

Joe is the Startup Innovation Manager and Director of The Runway, Lansing's fashion incubator. Bringing experience from the Detroit and Chicago entrepreneurial communities he assists startups and entrepreneurs, connecting them to resources and expertise from area mentors.
Prior, Joe served as a Technology Specialist for the Maker Studios project a...

Meleena joined the LEAP team as an apprentice at The Runway in the Fall of October 2014 and was promoted to Operations Coordinator in September 2016. At The Runway, Meleena serves as the liaison for the tenants, including event planning, assisting with programming and overseeing the daily operations.
With a keen eye for all thin...